Next week, Israeli President Isaac Herzog is visiting the U.S. and will give a speech to a joint session of Congress — and there's no way in hell I will attend it.

Ilhan for Congress

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Friends -

Next week, Israeli President Isaac Herzog is visiting the U.S. and will give a speech to a joint session of Congress — and there's no way in hell I will attend it.

I refuse to go and listen to a speech from a president whose country has banned me, and denied my friend and colleague Rashida Tlaib the ability to visit her grandmother in Palestine.

I will be perfectly clear: the U.S. should not be inviting the president of a country whose government — under its most right-wing leadership in history — has barred the first two Muslim women elected to Congress from traveling there.

While executive power in Israel is vested in the Prime Minister and his cabinet, the president as head of state has traditionally served as a “faithful policy ambassador” for the government in charge.

President Herzog's address comes at a time when that government is openly promising to "crush" Palestinian hopes of statehood, essentially putting a nail in the coffin of peace and a two-state solution.

It comes at a time when that government's extreme right-wing cabinet members directly attack our president.

It comes at a time when that government is pushing through a judicial coup to centralize power and dismantle checks and balances.

And above all, it comes during the deadliest year for Palestinians in the West Bank in history, immediately following Israel's largest military operation there in decades — one which flattened entire city blocks and killed at least a dozen people.

Israel's increasing violations of international law and human rights are deeply concerning — especially as the U.S. provides Israel with billions of dollars in military aid each year to carry out those crimes.

Last month, I opposed the invitation for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to address a joint session based on his government’s human rights record. And next week I will not attend a similar address from President Herzog.

There's no way in hell.

In solidarity,

Ilhan Omar


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